


The Simple Souls of STRQ Days

by A_Guy_Called_2623



Category: RWBY
Genre: Best Friends, Emotional Hurt, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:54:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25809205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Guy_Called_2623/pseuds/A_Guy_Called_2623
Summary: A delve into the absolute beauty of Rosebird, as challenged by the RWBY Nook. It's a very short one, but nothing else could be added imo. Be sure to check out the other submissions for this challenge all around FFN and the collection here on AO3, if that suits your fancy more. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!
Relationships: Raven Branwen/Summer Rose
Comments: 7
Kudos: 14
Collections: A Day in The Life of





	The Simple Souls of STRQ Days

“So what are we doing here again?” the ravenette grumpily asked her partner, only for her question to be met with a nervous laugh.

“Such a busy body, Rae,” Summer replied, silver eyes gleaming with mirth. “Can’t we just walk, you know, as friends sometimes do?”

“What have I told you about calling me that, Sum?” Raven groaned, pulling out her nickname for the smaller woman, causing her to instantly go as red as the inside of her cloak.

“I can only call you that in private?” she responded, nervously raising a hand to the back of her neck. “But look around, we’re the only two people out here, and unless Qrow’s doing crow things, we’re completely alone. Not even a Grimm as far as the eye can see!”

Raven snorted. “Ever the optimist aren’t you?”

“When you’re born with silver eyes, you kind of have to be.” Summer replied wistfully. “Huntsmen and huntresses are beacons of hope as it stands, and silver eyes are the ultimate representation of that hope.”

“Is that Summer talking, or Oz? We spend a month as his scouts and you pick up all his mannerisms.”

“It’s been a bit longer than that, Rae. He brought us in midway through our third year, and we graduate tomorrow.” A smile flitted onto Summer’s face. “Hard to think of, isn’t it? We’ve known each other for 4 years. But initiation still feels like yesterday.”

“Do you regret anything?” Raven asked absently, catching her partner slightly off guard. “Do you ever wish that you could turn back time and so anything all over again?” she continued.

Summer stood in silence, looking out towards Forever Fall. After a moment, she turned back to her partner, a wide smile on her face. “Nope,” popping the ‘p’ for emphasis. “Everything that has happened had to, that’s just how life is.”

Raven now went quiet. Despite both only being 21, Summer seemed to have wisdom beyond her years.  _ “Must be from Oz” _ she thought. But these thoughts were interrupted as Summer bumped into her.

“Come on Rae, We should probably get back to the dorms. We don’t want our partners blowing up the school on our last day, do we?”

“That sounds like something they’d do,” Raven chuckled. She pulled Omen from its scabbard and cut a portal back to their life.

* * *

“Raven Branwen, Taiyang Xiao-Long, Qrow Branwen, and Summer Rose. As Team STRQ, you four have wandered these halls, in an attempt to not only better yourselves but also to better Remnant. For these past four years, ever since collecting the black king pieces in the Emerald Forest, you have achieved greatness in your studies, and become the most exemplary huntsmen and huntresses I have ever had the opportunity to teach. But what you do after you exit these hallowed halls is up to you alone. I am certain, however, that you will accomplish these goals, just as you always have.”

Summer cast a glance to her team as Ozpin’s speech came to an end. Raven caught this look and sent back a reassuring smile. Professor Goodwitch presented the graduates with a simple signet ring, with the emblem of their partner pressed into the metal.

“Congratulations STRQ,” the professor declared. “Have you any plans going forwards?”

Summer looked again to her partner, who simply nodded. “We stick together professor.”

“Forever and always,” Raven echoed.

Goodwitch gave a light smile and continued to the next team. The four made their way to Beacon’s Grand Hall, where the doors opened Remnant to them. Summer dissipated into white petals, swirling around her teammates, before landing on Raven’s shoulders laughing all the way. Quickly, Tai and Qrow joined in, but Raven’s silent snickers were the most important, and the loudest, to Summer.

* * *

On the isle of Patch, in a small wooden cottage, a door flew open, closely followed by Raven and an infuriated Summer. The two came to a stop at the treeline but neither’s emotions were close to a similar halt.

“Rae, what is going on with you?” Summer almost screamed at her partner. “You’re abandoning your team, your family, even your newborn daughter?! What kind of person do you think you are?”

Raven’s red eyes went even redder as she turned on a heel to face down her former leader. “You know exactly who I am! You’ve always known, so why don’t you admit it?!” she shouted back.

Summer froze, and the world seemed to as well. The smallest of tears formed in her silver eyes, as she stared. “Rae-”

“No!” Raven exploded. “Qrow and I came to Beacon to kill Huntsmen. People like you. All those early mornings when Omen needed to be polished, I was trying to make that final strike as painless as possible. I wanted to show you mercy, Summer, but that brought only weakness.”

Summer stared wide-eyed back at the other woman and began to reach a comforting hand out towards her. Raven noticed instantly and harshly drew Omen, its crimson blade leaving a minuscule cut on Summer’s nose.

“I saved you once,” she growled, trying to hold herself back. “Don’t expect that same kindness if our paths should ever cross again.” She jerked Omen to the side and ripped open a portal. She turned her back towards everything, most harshly of all, to her grief-stricken teammate.

“Rae,” Summer pleaded. “Come home.”

Raven said nothing, only pulling off her signet ring and tossing it towards her partner. The portal closed, and save for that gleam of metal in the grass, it was as if Raven Branwen had never existed on the island. 

Summer dropped to her knees and picked up the ring. For the first time since arriving at Beacon, she allowed herself something a leader could never have, and something Raven would have scorned her for. Weakness.

* * *

A tombstone stood solitary in the center of a cliff jettison. Its quartz almost glowing pure white in the setting sun, golden letters repeating an old Valeon hymn and a simple, but unforgettable name.

_ “Summer Rose. _

_ Thus Kindly I Scatter.” _

The peace surrounding the stone was only broken as a woman in red, with long hair as black as the night, stepped sorrowfully towards it.

One drop. Followed closely by another as her red eyes took in the image.

“I… I’m sorry.”


End file.
